Why, really, do women get in a bad mood during menstruation? & bull; hello healthy

Almost every woman becomes more sensitive during menstruation. One moment you feel happy, at other times you may burst into tears or explode with anger, then stabilize again - all of these emotional fluctuations you can feel alternately in one day. Have you ever wondered, why does the mood during menstruation fluctuate so easily?

The various mood changes you experience throughout the menstrual cycle

Although researchers don't know exactly why women become more sensitive during menstruation, the emotional turmoil you feel is suspected to be a side effect of hormonal fluctuations before and during the menstrual cycle.

Approximately, this is the breakdown of mood changes that you may experience - starting from the first day of menstruation, during menstruation, and afterward.

Day 1 to 5 (during menstruation)

Reporting from Shape, Louann Brizendine, M.D., a neurobiologist from the University of California, said that the mood during the first day of menstruation tends to be stable because the levels of the three hormones that regulate your cycle, namely estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, are equally balanced. Even so, the brain will increase the production of prostaglandin compounds that make stomach cramps and nausea in these first days.

In the first five days of menstruation, the brain will gradually produce more estrogen and testosterone which then stimulates the production of endorphins. Endorphins are happy hormones that also act as natural pain relievers. That's why the various PMS symptoms will fade away during your period so that your mood will improve.

Day 5 to 14 (menstruation is over and before the fertile period)

In the last few days of your period, estrogen will increase dramatically for up to 14 days after that. This aims to prepare the body for the next fertile period, as well as to prepare the uterus in case of conception.

Apart from stabilizing your mood, the increase in estrogen during this time also helps improve a number of cognitive functions in your brain. Women tend to be more outgoing aliases easy to socialize, more focused on doing something, more energetic, quick to make decisions, and more nagging near the fertile period. Women's sex drive also increases sharply because testosterone levels peak just before the fertile period. It's no wonder that many women find it very sexy and attractive at these times.

Interestingly, a study revealed that women's competitive instincts also spike during fertility due to an increase in testosterone. Hmmm… Maybe this is why you are easier to sign if you want your period, yes!

Day 14 to 25 (fertile period)

During their most fertile period, most women tend to more interested in seeing a man with a masculine face, says a study from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. You also tend to be more sexually active, whether it's having sex with your partner or masturbating more often.

At this time, your estrogen levels are still very high. The same study shows that increased estrogen affects a part of the brain called the hippocampus, so your memory becomes sharper and you also process new information more quickly.

After the fertile period is over and there are no signs of conception, estrogen and testosterone levels will fall back down. You begin to feel the mood that fluctuates, although sometimes it is not so obvious. At the same time, the decrease in these two hormones causes the brain to work down too, so you tend to it's easier to forget and lack of communication skills.

Day 25 to 28 (PMS period)

When there is no fertilized egg, the body prepares to release it through menstruation. It is during this time that progesterone and estrogen levels will be lowest. Instead, the brain will release high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes various PMS symptoms, such as headaches, lack of sleep, body lethargy and lack of energy, until the fluctuation of mood when menstruation will arrive.

But, you dont have to worry. This condition will not last long, because the hormone estrogen will start to rise again as soon as you start menstruating. PMS symptoms that haunt you will also decrease. This mood change pattern will reoccur near the time of your next period.

Mood fluctuations during menstrual changes rapidly increase a woman's risk of developing depression

The hormonal changes associated with menstruation each month can alter the chemical balance in the brain and risk serious emotional upset, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

These changes are reported to increase a woman's risk of anxiety disorders and depression. Not to mention the added daily stress that is not associated with PMS symptoms, this can also exacerbate bad mood during menstruation.

Even so, researchers are not sure exactly how estrogen and progesterone affect the nerve cells of the brain, which can cause anxiety. So far, researchers only know that hormonal fluctuations that are too extreme make some women more prone to experiencing severe anxiety disorders and depressive behavior in the week leading up to menstruation, which can be categorized as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

PMDD is a mood disorder that is more extreme than just a bad mood during menstruation in general. In certain cases, women who are afflicted with this disorder are even at higher risk of developing depression and even attempting suicide.

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